Stroman struggles as Blue Jays' win streak snapped by Red Sox

Who said baseball isn’t a tough pastime? Not Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman, who was roughed up by the Red Sox for the second straight game.

In a game that featured pretty well everything — numerous passed balls and stolen bases, two injuries to the home team, calls at home being overturned, two runs scored on a strike out — the Red Sox managed to out-last and defeat the Blue Jays 6-4 at Fenway Park, snapping a four-game win streak for Toronto.

Stroman (5-2) faced Boston last Saturday at the Rogers Centre and gave up 11 hits and seven runs in 5.1 innings, but managed to get the win in a 10-9 victory.

This Saturday, he wasn’t so fortunate. The young right-hander managed to hang in for 5.2 innings, but left with a 6-4 deficit after giving up nine hits and five walks. So much for the extra two days rest. He also struck out four.

“They’re a great lineup, one through nine they’re pretty put-together, they all swing it very well and they’re all very hot,” Stroman said. “But I just wasn’t executing. I just got to find out what’s been going on, work on it and kind of get back to how I’ve been in the past.

“I’m just in a little bit of a rut, just struggling a little bit as of late,” he added. “But I know my work ethic and I know for a fact that I’ll do everything in my power to get back to where it needs to be. I know this is something that’s not going to last and I’ll be back to where I should be soon. I guarantee.”

Boston knuckleballer Steven Wright (6-4) took the win, giving up three runs, all unearned, over five innings.

Stroman fell behind 3-0 in the third inning. Dustin Pedroia walked with one out and then Xander Bogaerts smacked a double off the centre-field wall. At that point, with Red Sox slugger David Ortiz coming up, pitching coach Pete Walker came out to the mound for a chat. After the visit, Ortiz hit a one-out single to right to score Pedroia and Bogaerts.

Jays manager John Gibbons was asked if they thought of walking Ortiz in that situation. Gibbons said they did not.

“The plan was, ‘Let’s make him hit our pitch.’ Two outs maybe, it’s a no-brainer. One out, still got (Hanley) Ramirez and (Travis) Shaw (coming up), who’s been a nightmare for us too. Early in the game at Fenway Park you start putting extra guys on, it’s usually the kiss of death.”

Stroman said he told Walker that he wanted to go after Ortiz and the coach was fine with it. It back-fired.

The Jays had their chances, but went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Toronto added two runs in the fifth in the most bizarre way possible.

Left fielder Michael Saunders struck out with two out on a pitch that got away from Boston catcher Ryan Hanigan, but Saunders beat the throw to first, allowing Ryan Goins and Jose Bautista to score from third and second, respectively. Goins and Bautista had moved up a base previously on an earlier passed ball.

The Red Sox added a sixth run in the sixth when Mookie Betts hit a double to left to score Blake Swihart from first.

It was originally ruled that the Jays had thrown Swihart out at the plate, but the call was overruled upon review, though there didn’t seem to be any clear evidence that Swihart beat the tag.

Gibbons said he didn’t understand why the call was overruled.

In any event, Betts’ hit marked the end of the day for Stroman, who was replaced by Jesse Chavez.

With a pair of walks, Bautista has now reached base safely in 20 straight games.

Boston lost two starters during the game, left fielder Swihart with a left ankle injury and Hanigan with a neck strain — possibly from swinging his head, looking for passed balls.

Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson, who was not in the starting lineup because of a jammed right thumb, was seen in the dugout in the ninth inning holding a bat after Russell Martin hit a lead-off single.

“Naw, he wasn’t going to be in there,” Gibbons said when asked if Donaldson might have hit in the inning. “That was a little bit of false hustle.”

It was all for naught anyway, as Kevin Pillar then hit into a double play.